Jewish Quarter

Jewish Quarter

The Jewish Quarter is also known as the Josefov, and it is located between the Vltava River and the Old Town Square in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Its history dates back to the 13^th century, when the Jewish people living in Prague were made to leave their homes in order to settle there. The Prague Jewish quarter eventually grew over time, as the Jewish people, who were banned from living anywhere else, alongside the Germans, Austrians, and the Spanish that were expelled from the other areas, all accumulated in this one place.

It is among the most important historical sites in Prague, as these are the only best preserved historical Jewish complex in the entire Europe, despite the fact that almost the entire Quarter was demolished by 1913. Today, the Jewish Quarter includes 6 synagogues in total, including the Old-New Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue, both of which are famous monuments. The Old-New Synagogue in particular, which was built in the 13^th century, is Central Europe’s oldest preserved synagogue, and is currently the main prayer house for the city’s Jewish community. It also includes the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Jewish Ceremonial Hall, both of which are fascinating monuments to visit. If you’re interested in Jewish history, one of the walking tours in Prague should help you learn more about it. Also, another interesting thing about the Jewish quarter is that it has even survived the Nazi invasion.

It was Hitler’s idea to turn the Jewish quarter into a museum, even going as far as having other Jewish artefacts transported from other countries to add to the collection of Jewish artefacts. The Prague tours would be able to teach you more about the museum. Everything in this area, excluding the Old-New Synagogue, is part of Prague’s Jewish Museum. An additional fact that makes the Jewish Quarter more interesting than it already is, is that it is the birthplace of Franz Kafka, who is a celebrated writer and has a statue dedicated to him on Dusni Street.